Monday, August 06, 2007

League of nations

Looking at the players who featured on Saturday, it must rank as the most cosmopolitan side ever put out by the club, featuring players from no less than xx countries:

Schmeichel, Onuoha (Sun 62), Dunne, Richards, Garrido, Elano (Geovanni 46), Johnson (Hamann 73), Fernandes (Corradi 73), Petrov, Ireland, Bianchi.

By my reckoning, we had the following representation from the following countries - Denmark, China, England (x3), Ireland (x2), Spain, Brazil (x2), Germany, Switzerland, Italy (x2) and Bulgaria.
Not included in the line-up were players from Sweden, France, Belgium and Croatia.

Not everyone is best pleased though with the diverse touch that has been brought to the club:


"Sven has had an opportunity to look at plenty of
English players during his time with the national side.
"He said we could
win the World Cup and that we had great players coming through from the
Under-21s - yet none of the players he has signed is English.
"He must have
worked with around 50 England players. Perhaps that shows what he thinks of
English football."



Now I stopped giving this consideration as soon as I realised it had come from the mouth of John Barnes - a supremely talented footballer, but as a pundit (not to mention manager) is severely lacking.

Yes, Eriksson did work with some talented players whilst England manager but didn't these predominantly come from those clubs who have occupied the top five positions in the Premiership - and not one to put us down, are unlikely to make a move to ourselves (at this time anyway).

Other young English talent transferred this summer that we could have acquired? The likes of Kieron Richardson, David Nugent and (soon to move) Leighton Baines - all average Premiership players who are commanding fees of £6 million plus. We have also been linked with Scott Carson (I would personally go for Marco Amelia) for a similar fee today - are these players really worth signing for that money over the players that Eriksson has brought in?

vote it up!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

whats your point if there is one

Anonymous said...

"Fernandes gave away the goal".
Behave. The lad was 40 years out when he lost the ball - 3 passes, a shot, a save and a shot later the ball was in the net past a floored keeper"
Don't fall for the lazy journalistic sh@te.
Agree totally about the team. ON Saturday they passed the ball around well and got both bodies and crosses in there. Better than Sincs/Marbles/Thatcher/Mills/Mills/Jordan. To all the moaners out there (and we are ebdowed with more than outr fair share) , let's go with the flow, keep the faith and get behind the team, Sven, Bakkers and Frank.

Anonymous said...

ljno

Anonymous said...

Having trouble with this. You think that Barnes was "a supremely talented footballer"

Sorry, but you weren't watching the same England matches as I was. The man would do absolutely zip for 10 matches - and the whole country was screaming "Drop Him" - then he'd score or make a goal and guarantee his place for the next 94 matches.

Danny Pugsley said...

Personal opinion I guess - I thought he was a quality player but accept he was one who polarised opinion, moreso in his England career than club one.

Anonymous said...

Exactly what part of England doesJohnBarnes come from?

Anonymous said...

I thought john barnes was one of the most overrated players in the last 20 years, as a kid i could never understand why, except the brazil goal.The players we have bought are quality and if people observed and judged for themself and not what rags in the press say you would be well chuffed with the squad we have.........might take a while to gel, but, 4 weeks ago we had nothing!!!!!!!!!!
ill get my coat.